Voluntary House Arrest
I made a semi-permeable vow, at the end of July, that I would not leave the Smallish State during the month of August. I was wiped out from a 100-mile-a-day commuting habit and other travels. Plus, the rest of the world wants to come to the Smallish State during August. Why should I try to leave? (Well, true—the rest of the world coming here is one good reason to leave. But still.)
I’ve made good on the vow, with the exception of a 15-minute foray across the bridge to our neighboring state for the purpose of delivering 9 into the waiting hands of his grandparents. He has been on “summer vacation” in Major Metropolitan Area for the past several weeks, where he receives tuna fish twice daily and nightly brushing. I doubt he wants to come home.
The Smallish State, however, turns out not to be all that small, and quite capable of exhausting the average motorist. Here is a short list of Turboglacier’s activities over the past month or so:
- Brought S/V Sandra Lee home from Up The Coast, a 22-hour trek. Then several 2- or 3-night excursions to various islands, inlets, bays, and lonely outposts. Many hours of boat projects, most notably the replacement of the engine heat exchanger (of which I am very proud, and liable to mention several more times.)
- Five days at The Compound, an off-the-grid spot owned by a friend’s parents in a remote seaside location.
- “Sprint” Triathlon in Mountain Town (see prev. post.)
- Return to Mountain Town for a day of splitting firewood and running on forest roads while throwing a Nerf football (a long tradition, don’t ask.
- 518’s wedding, a three-day extravaganza (interrupted briefly to split firewood) which involved a ferry ride to an island ceremony, with the bride & groom later departing in the rain, in full foulies, on 2’s dad’s powerboat, to a different island, where their honeymoon began.
- Three days at Mt. Katahdin, which is the Smallest State’s highest peak but somehow not climbed by me until I’d been here five years. It’s a long drive from the Smallish City, and the park has a complex system of rules about when you can come and stay and climb, so I kept avoiding it. But it is one impressive piece of rock, at least for these parts.
- Currently, traveling in “The County”, the Smallish State’s northernmost region, full of potatoes, Wal-Marts, people just itching to go snowmobiling, and not much else. I tagged along to keep a friend company on a sort of business trip, but didn’t quite realize we were going to drive nearly a thousand miles in three days.
When I get home tomorrow, Co-Chief flies in for a couple days of sail adventure, then other friends are coming for Labor Day… then I’m free to leave the state again. But why?
I’ve made good on the vow, with the exception of a 15-minute foray across the bridge to our neighboring state for the purpose of delivering 9 into the waiting hands of his grandparents. He has been on “summer vacation” in Major Metropolitan Area for the past several weeks, where he receives tuna fish twice daily and nightly brushing. I doubt he wants to come home.
The Smallish State, however, turns out not to be all that small, and quite capable of exhausting the average motorist. Here is a short list of Turboglacier’s activities over the past month or so:
- Brought S/V Sandra Lee home from Up The Coast, a 22-hour trek. Then several 2- or 3-night excursions to various islands, inlets, bays, and lonely outposts. Many hours of boat projects, most notably the replacement of the engine heat exchanger (of which I am very proud, and liable to mention several more times.)
- Five days at The Compound, an off-the-grid spot owned by a friend’s parents in a remote seaside location.
- “Sprint” Triathlon in Mountain Town (see prev. post.)
- Return to Mountain Town for a day of splitting firewood and running on forest roads while throwing a Nerf football (a long tradition, don’t ask.
- 518’s wedding, a three-day extravaganza (interrupted briefly to split firewood) which involved a ferry ride to an island ceremony, with the bride & groom later departing in the rain, in full foulies, on 2’s dad’s powerboat, to a different island, where their honeymoon began.
- Three days at Mt. Katahdin, which is the Smallest State’s highest peak but somehow not climbed by me until I’d been here five years. It’s a long drive from the Smallish City, and the park has a complex system of rules about when you can come and stay and climb, so I kept avoiding it. But it is one impressive piece of rock, at least for these parts.
- Currently, traveling in “The County”, the Smallish State’s northernmost region, full of potatoes, Wal-Marts, people just itching to go snowmobiling, and not much else. I tagged along to keep a friend company on a sort of business trip, but didn’t quite realize we were going to drive nearly a thousand miles in three days.
When I get home tomorrow, Co-Chief flies in for a couple days of sail adventure, then other friends are coming for Labor Day… then I’m free to leave the state again. But why?
posted by Turbo at 5:00 PM
3 Comments:
Turbo, it's good to see you back. If you are a runner and a climber you really need to stop by ShrinkRap and meet some fellow psych athletes. We've been talking about this lately.
And I'm sure poor little 9 misses you. I'll bet it's been ages since you've waved a fish stick at him.
then I’m free to leave the state again. But why?
But why not? :)
my monthly activities, while also confined to the smallish state, have consisted primarily of traveling up and down the same highway corridor to work. thoroughly unexciting stuff. (managed to sneak up north for mini-paddle excursion with bt & bt’s friend, but that was officially September, not sure it counts.) plus, i've had to listen to SoF IHLC whine about the lack of work lately. she's a pain.
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